From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org]
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 10:26 AM
To: FDA Commissioner
Cc: president@whitehouse.gov; vice.president@whitehouse.gov;
fdadockets@oc.fda.gov; fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Oppose the New FDA Regulations on GE Foods!

FDA Commissioner 
Dockets Management Branch (HFA 305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fisher's Lane, rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

RE: Docket No. 00N-1396, and 00D-1598

Dear FDA,
 
I am outraged by your new policies on genetically engineered (GE)foods. 
 Despite overwhelming consumer demand, your agency still fails to require 
safety testing and mandatory labeling for GE foods. Your “notification” 
policy is an insult to consumers, and irresponsibly ignores strong 
scientific evidence of numerous potential health and environmental risks 
to GE foods. You should be aware that these foods could be toxic, could 
cause allergic responses, could have lower nutrition value, could 
compromise immune responses in consumers, and could cause irreparable 
damage to the environment. 

I am also greatly opposed to your new “voluntary labeling” policy, which 
denies consumers a basic right to know. Without mandatory labeling, 
neither consumers nor health professionals will know if an allergic or 
toxic reaction was the result of a genetically engineered food. Consumers 
will also be deprived of the critical knowledge they need to hold food 
producers liable should any of these novel foods prove hazardous. I expect 
labelling to allow me to determine down to the exact lot that the material 
originated from, as I can now do with materials I use in my business. The 
expense of such tracking will be totally offset by the profits gained 
through these newly engineered foodstuffs.

Your proposed rules ignore serious concerns, and appear to be a decision 
made to convenience industry at the expense of public health and the 
environment. I will not accept your attempt to make me and my children 
guinea pigs of these untested foods, and I trust you will take my concern 
along with the thousands of others into serious consideration.

In addition I am very concerned with the fact that genetically altered 
corn found its way into our food last year. This highlights the inadequacy 
of voluntary regulation of these materials.

Sincerely,

Eric A. Paetz


eric paetz
3237 Chadbourne Road
Shaker Heights, OH, 44120

CC: 
The President
Vice President Dick Cheney
FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396]
Senator Mike DeWine
Senator George Voinovich
Representative Stephanie T. JonesFDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 
00D-1598]


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